Such a method or an arrangement of this kind is known from DE-A 42 39 711. There, a desired value for a torque of the internal combustion engine is pregiven by the driver or, in special operating states, from other open-loop or closed-loop control systems. This desired value is, on the one hand, converted into a desired charging value and then into a desired value for controlling the air supply to the engine, for example, via a throttle flap and, on the other hand, into an ignition angle adjustment and/or a number of cylinders to which the metering of fuel is interrupted. The actual torque of the internal combustion engine approaches the pregiven desired torque value with this control of the power parameter of the engine.
In addition to the ignition angle adjustment and/or the suppression of injection to cylinders, it is known from WO-A 95/24550 to influence the mixture composition of the engine.
If a torque reduction for an engine is desired (for a corresponding input of the desired value), then the engine is, as a rule, adjusted with the desired dynamic because the engine torque can be immediately reduced by interventions, which act quickly on the torque. These interventions are interventions into the ignition angle, into the metering of fuel to the cylinders and/or into the mixture composition. The slower charge intervention is superposed for the torque reduction on this rapid torque change. However, if a torque increase is requested, then this can be carried out only via an increase in charge if: all cylinders are fired, the mixture composition is stoichiometric and the ignition angle is not shifted toward retard. The dynamic of this charge increase is however limited by the dynamic of the throttle flap actuator and/or the intake manifold dynamic.